JESUS, THE AMAZING CARPENTER
“‘Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?’ So they were offended at Him’” (Mr.6:3). Jesus grew up in Nazareth of Galilee. Though the Bible is silent regarding His early years, yet from our text we do know that Jesus worked as a carpenter. Sadly, after He started His ministry and made a return visit to Nazareth, some of the people there could see Him only as “the carpenter.” Because of this our text tells us they were “offended at Him.” The word “offended” translates a Greek word meaning “to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall.” The humble upbringing of Jesus became a stumbling block over which many people tripped. They could not conceive that the Christ would have such an humble beginning on earth and so they stumbled into unbelief. Centuries earlier Isaiah had prophesied this would happen (Isa.8:14). Dear reader, had the people in Nazareth questioned Jesus’ carpentry, then maybe they would not have been so quick to reject Him. If they had only considered some of the things Jesus built. What things? First, He was the carpenter who built the universe – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (Joh.1:1-3). The matter of design and order, as well as some common sense, tell us that the universe did not create itself. Someone built it and that someone was Jesus – “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Heb.3:4). As a carpenter Jesus did something no other carpenter can do. What? He made something out of nothing – “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb.11:3). And second, Jesus built the church. After Peter confessed Him to be the Christ the Son of God, Jesus promised to build His church upon that truth – “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Mt.16:;18).